


We’re Good Now

by tylerandburnham



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27880537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tylerandburnham/pseuds/tylerandburnham
Summary: Missing scene from Season 2 finale. After Ash Tyler says good-bye to Michael Burnham, Tyler goes to see Hugh Culber to convince him to stay on Discovery.
Relationships: Hugh Culber & Ash Tyler | Voq, Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Michael Burnham/Ash Tyler | Voq
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	We’re Good Now

We’re Good Now

By: TylerAndBurnham

It was chaos as soon as Ash Tyler stepped into Sickbay. Preparations were quickly being made for the wounded Disco crew that would soon and inevitably be entering the doors once the battle with Control began. Add to that was the chaos of which medical staff were going with Discovery, and it’s journey 900 plus years into the future, and those that were staying in this timeline and transferring temporarily to Enterprise.

Tyler had no time for this. He was due for a last minute meet up with Georgiou and for Captain Pike and himself to beam aboard Enterprise. But he had to make time for the most important… Tyler pushed thoughts of Michael out of his mind. She loved him as much as he loved her… Tyler shut down the memories. If he didn’t keep moving forward, if his thoughts lingered on their goodbye, he would lose all his resolve. Taking a deep breath and running his hand down his face and beard, he glanced around the crowded Sickbay one last time.

This time his eyes found the person he was looking for. Dr. Culber saw him too. Their eyes locked. Tyler couldn’t read the expression on Culber’s face. Culber broke away from the nurse he was talking to, and strode immediately over to Tyler. For his part, Tyler braced himself. After Dr. Culber’s, he couldn’t think of it as an assault, encounter with him in the Mess Hall he had no idea what might happen. 

There was silence for a few moments when Culber opened his palm and indicated that Tyler and he should step to the side, out of the way of people that needed to move in and out of Sickbay.

Culber opened his mouth to say something when Tyler shook his head cutting him off. “I’m not here about what happened in the Mess Hall.”

Culber tilted his head in confusion, “Then why…”

Indecision played across Tyler’s face for just a moment and then he plunged on. “I heard that you are transferring to the Enterprise. That...Commander Stamets...is staying on Discovery.” Seeing that Culber was about to tell him none of this was his business, Tyler quickly beat him to it. “I know it is none of my business.” A pause. “I just said good-bye…” 

The irritation Culber felt disappeared as quickly as it had come as he noticed the pain and tears he could see in Tyler’s eyes. And it was a startling realization when Culber realized Tyler was letting him see his inner turmoil and despair. 

Tyler took a breath and said, “I just said good-bye to Burnham. Forever. I’m staying here, in this time period. I’m staying with Section 31 to make sure Control never gets another foothold in this timeline. I want...I want to make it as safe for...the Discovery crew when they arrive in the future. I don’t want us to find ourselves where we are again now or in the future. I wanted to emphasize I won’t be going with Discovery. If you were concerned…”

“I’m not concerned. Are you worried about the Disco crew? Because Dr. Pollard is…”

“No. That’s not it. Well...of course they need you. They’re going to need you and your expertise more than ever in the future. What they’ll face is literally unimaginable right now.” A pause. Tyler looked down at the carpeted floor. “I just said good-bye to the person who knows me better than anyone. The person I love in this universe who completes me. And I… Voq...took so much away from you. Please don’t let me also take away your love, your home. Because Michael is my home and she is flying away to a place I will never be able to follow.” Tyler looked up into Culber’s eyes. Tyler spoke again with full emotion in his voice. “Stamets loves you and I know you love him. He was so lost without you. I know he is your home. And I don’t want you to lose that. I have to lose it to keep all of us safe. But you don’t have to look back on this day with regret.”

Culber could feel tears welling in his eyes.

Tyler tentatively put a hand on Culber’s arm. When Culber didn’t pull away, Tyler said, “I know you don’t know who you are exactly. I know you are still finding your way. And I can't begin to make amends or tell you enough how deeply, gut wrenchingly sorry I am for your death and for everything that happened to you and for everything that feels out of reach to you. I’ve been where you are. And I ran away from everything I loved because I didn’t know where I fit in any more and I felt that...Michael...would be better off without me.” Softly, Tyler said, “I made a mistake and I wasted time that I could have spent with those I love. And now… I don’t want you to make the same mistake.”

Tyler let his hand drop. He gave a gentle shrug. “I just wanted to help you if I could.” He turned to go but suddenly Tyler felt a hand on his arm. He turned his head back to look at Culber.

Culber let go and rubbed his beard trying to keep his tears in check. Clearing his throat he said. “I...I don’t blame you. Not anymore. I know...it wasn’t you. It wasn’t the you that you were or are now. What happened to you….what was done to you…” Cubler took a deep breath. “We were both victims. And now we’re both survivors.”

The sweet relief of Culber’s forgiveness enveloped Tyler. But it also released Culber as it had been releasing him ever since he tried to provoke Voq in the Mess Hall. Only he hadn’t understood that Voq...all he was now were memories. Voq had no power to harm Culber or anyone else. Tyler was Tyler. Well more but still the good man he always was. Culber hadn’t realized how much Tyler and he had in common until the end of his fight with Tyler. 

Continuing, Culber said, “I love Paul. I’ve always loved Paul. It just took me time to… Thank you. Thank you for coming to see me.”

Smiling, Tyler nodded his head. Turning serious, Tyler opened his mouth to speak but Culber cut him off. Quietly but with determination Culber said, “Don’t worry, Tyler. I’ll take care of Burnham. I’ll take care of them all.”

“Thank...thank you. For everything.”

Culber was smiling as he watched Tyler turn and exit Sickbay. Turning introspective, Culber felt a deep sadness for the parting of Tyler and Burnham. Surprisingly, he also felt a sadness that they wouldn’t be continuing their journey together either. Tyler was one person who may have understood what Culber had been going through. Maybe they could have developed more of a friendship. 

Culber vowed that he would find Paul soon and tell him he was staying on Discovery. He would win Paul back and ask for his forgiveness. Tyler should have been an activated Klington agent and Culber should be dead. They had both been given second chances and, like Tyler, he wasn’t going to waste a second of it. But first he had to get Sickbay ready for the battle that was bearing down on them all. With a strange sense of unease, Cubler hoped he wouldn’t somehow be too late to tell Paul he loved him, always and forever.


End file.
